Rare Wines

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Even more aromatic than the 1982 DRC Richebourg, this rich, velvety, soft, somewhat loosely structured wine currently provides delicious drinking. There is plenty of the smoky, exotic, mineral, and oriental spice character that one usually finds in La Tache, but less grip and focus. Owners should move quickly to consume this wine.Robert Parker | 91 RP

A bottle of 1989 Roumier Bonnes Mares drunk with friends at La Paulée showed super-ripe, accessible fruit that seemed explosively aromatic and still incredibly youthful, with an aroma of bright cherries and hints of minerals, violets, and smoke. On the palate, the wine was rich yet elegantly balanced. At just over 20 years of age, this had opened and softened to where it no longer seemed forbiddingly dense. It is doubtless still ticking along nicely and should continue to age well for decades.Decanter | 98 DECBig and complex, with masses of fruit and tannins and a long, almost tough finish. A traditional, big wine that is drinkable now. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1989 vintage is not one that Christophe Roumier looks back on fondly, but his Bonnes-Mares is excellent and continues to cruise along beautifully at age twenty-five. This was the very first vintage where Christophe did away with multiple bottlings of Bonnes-Mares and only produced a single cuvée, which he has done in each subsequent vintage. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a mature and vibrant mix of black cherries, plums, woodsmoke, game, sous bois, mustard seed and a dollop of new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and still nicely plush at the core, with melted tannins, sound acids, fine focus and grip and a long, velvety and quite classy finish. Good juice at its apogee, but with plenty of life still in it. (Drink between 2014 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JGDisplaying a fair depth of colour along with some lifted aromatics, the ’89 feels less ripe than many of the 1990s vintages. In fact this presents as a relatively lean wine, but it is certainly very stylish. It is one of the more savoury wines with some alpine strawberry fruit. It held up nicely in the glass without improving further. Tasted: February 2018.Jasper Morris | 93 JMAs elegant and pure as this wine usually is, the ’89 doesn’t seem to have quite the freshness that it should and while the now fully aromas are typical, which is to say there is plenty of earth, spice and game, it lacks real vibrancy. The concentrated big-bodied flavors, by contrast, are rich, structured, beautifully textured and complex and the backend offers solid if not genuinely stunning length. That said, 1989 is merely a very good vintage by the superb standards of this wine and for my taste it is drinking as well now as it’s ever going to. Tasted thrice recently with consistent notes.save for one bottle that displayed enough brett to materially detract from the drinking experience.Burghound | 91 BH

It has been some years since the last time I cracked a bottle and at 22 years of age, it would be fair to say that this has reached its apogee with a really lovely and fully mature nose redolent of fully mature secondary aromas that do not yet evidence any notes of sous-bois. There is excellent richness to the delicious, sappy and still solidly well-concentrated flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is not an especially refined effort but one that is most satisfying and while there is no further upside development to be had, neither is there any rush to drink up. In a word, lovely.Burghound | 91 BHA firm wine that offers generous, clear black cherry, raspberry and spice aromas and flavors. Solid, with pure, focused flavors balanced by enough acidity and tannin. Drinkable now to 1998. 375 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Light red. Beautiful nose, very youthful and pure. A vegetal note emerges with air. Packed with dense fruit and marked by a very firm structure of both acidity and dense tannins. The fruit is locked up right now in this massive, powerful La Tâche. Rather than open in the glass, this appears to close up, but have faith; this will be great.--La Tâche non-blind vertical. Best from 2010 through 2030. — BSWine Spectator | 95 WS(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Red) The nose evidences a slight floral quality, and a fascinating mix of earth, leather, tea and spice notes plus an interesting green bark component. The slightly austere, tannic, wonderfully rich flavors are dense, in fact extremely dense with excellent depth and terrific complexity and a finish that seems to go on forever. Though there are now hints of secondary aromas, this remains very young, structured and remarkably intense. When you get the right bottle, the ’93 can be a real stunner. Note: the inconsistency of this wine continues unabated as a bottle opened at the Domaine recently was almost aggressively vegetal and awkward. In short, when it’s good it’s very good but I’ve now had too many disappointing bottles not to be wary. (Drink starting 2018)Burghound | 95 BH

The handful of critics that whine about Mme. Leroy’s wines all tasting the same should go to the trouble of acquiring and tasting her wines rather than repeating some of Burgundy’s most appalling and viscous rumors. The proof is in the pudding, as her intense line-up of distinctly different 1995 Nuits demonstrates. Leroy’s most profound Nuits is the benchmark-setting opaque and black-colored Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Boudots (250 cases). This extraordinary wine possesses an enthralling nose of wild berries, iron, stones and some intriguing saltiness. Explosive, powerful, elegant as well as velvety-textured and jam-packed with copious amounts of sweet red and black fruits, this is a wine of intense depth. It will be at its peak between 2005-2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-97 RPIn a class by itself. Earthy and a bit funky at first sniff, it fans out on the palate like no other Nuits ’95 we tasted, delivering a rich, ripe, supple mouthfeel that’s to die for. Layered with wet earth, dried flower, black cherry, violet and mineral notes. It kept improving in the glass. Bravo! Drink now through 2010. 242 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA lovely nose that is now almost full mature with spice and earth elements adding nuance to the now mostly secondary black fruit aromas that introduce sappy and mouth coating big-bodied flavors that possess good depth and excellent length where only a trace of the usual 1995 asperity is in evidence. This is quite an attractive effort that should drink well for at least another 20 years though it will probably always be best with food. Note that while it could easily be approached now with pleasure, for my taste it could use a few more years of cellar time.Burghound | 91 BH

The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru from Hudelot-Noëllat personifies the vineyard with some style. It has a stunning, pure, elegant and effortless nose that maybe expresses that essence of pinoté better than more than a dozen other Richebourg wines present at this tasting. Raspberry coulis, wild strawberry and cold stone soar from the glass with great focus. The palate is tensile, the red berry fruit laced with orange zest that lends vivacity and energy. To be banal, this is just a Richebourg so well crafted that you want to just drink it rather than intellectualize over its virtues. That’s the sign of a great wine. Drink from 2015-2030.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM(Richebourg- Hudelot-Noëllat) The 1999 Hudelot Richebourg is much more together out of the blocks that the RSV, delivering a complex and compelling bouquet of red plums and cherries, milk chocolate, smoke, venison, minerals, herb tones, hints of forest floor and a stylish coating of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, lush and potentially quite opulent, with excellent focus and polish, packed with fruit at the core, and excellent length and grip on the moderately tannic finish. This does not quite possess the nascent complexity of the Méo Richebourg, but it matches it every step of the way for breed, focus and delineation, Another ringing success for the vintage. While this will be approachable in a few years, I would give it at least eight or nine years to fully open and start hitting on all cylinders. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2010-2040)John Gilman | 94 JG (aged in about 40% new oak, a bit less than in recent vintages): Medium red with modest saturation. Aromas of black raspberry, leather and earth are less pristine than those of today’s wines. Creamy-sweet and spicy in the mouth, with a slightly high-toned quality to its fat flavors of red berries, red cherry, underbrush and leather.Vinous Media | 93 VMClassic Hudelot style with its discreetly elegant nose of spice and beautifully proportioned flavors displaying outstanding richness and perfect acid/fruit balance. Very fine, very long and a Richebourg that delivers finesse rather than power though this is by no means a shrinking violet. In short, this is a complex, long and perfectly balanced effort that has largely reached its apogee.Burghound | 93 BH

Rich and ripe Pinot Noir, black in color, thick in texture, pumping out the flavors. Silky midpalate reveals the pedigree of this wine. Loaded with sweet blackberry character that goes on to a long finish. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBright, deep ruby-red. Complex nose melds violet, bitter chocolate, earth, meat and a hint of medicinal austerity. Dense, rich and thick; a wine of compelling richness and sweetness, but also solidly structured despite its accessibility today. Finishes with lush but firm tannins and exhilarating notes of cassis and violet. Lovely pinot noir.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Extremely ripe with powerful black fruit, wood toast and Vosne spice aromas with tannic, robust flavors yet good finesse on the long finish. This makes a firm statement and has good size to go with the penetrating fruit. (Drink between 2009-2016)Burghound | 90 BH

(Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg Grand Cru Red) (with thanks to Dr. Reed Day). While this has certainly matured since I first saw it from bottle in 2004, the original note still largely captures the wine with its deep, complex and spicy old vine aromas that are slightly floral in character. This brilliant introduction is followed by wonderfully harmonious and quite powerful middle weight flavors that are beautifully delineated and perfectly balanced while delivering superb length. In sum, this ultra-pure effort offers reference standard quality with more refinement than young Richebourg usually displays - plus it's approaching readiness for prime time and could easily be enjoyed now though for my taste another 3 to 5 years would serve it well. Tasted twice in the last few months. (Drink starting 2015)Burghound | 94 BHModerately saturated palish red. Very sexy, open-knit perfume of raspberry, truffle, mulch and menthol. Not a powerhouse but boasts lovely retention of fruit and finesse, with its flavors of strawberry, raspberry, truffle and spices nicely framed by bright acidity. The tannins are still a bit tight but the firmly structured finish displays lovely rising spicy length. This perfumed but youthfully reserved wine should continue to mellow with further time in the cellar.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Good bright dark red. Lively aromas of plum, violet, espresso and underbrush; a bit more primary than the Suchots. Impressively concentrated, dense and sweet, with vibrant red fruit and spice flavors. Impeccably balanced, generous 2001, finishing with superb sweetness and breadth. This, too, should reward several years of aging but is fat and pliant already.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis too is reference standard RSV with its wonderfully seductive panoply of spice and fresh crushed herb notes that seamlessly merge with rich, powerful yet refined flavors that pack plenty of punch and length. The length here is simply phenomenal and this is without question the finest wine in the line-up. In short, this is a compelling wine that is endowed with the potential to become a genuinely great wine. Burghound | 92-95 BHFloral, elegant, silky. Full-bodied, a lovely red Burgundy, with smoke, blackberries, black cherries and raspberries swirling around, seducing from start to finish. Clean, pure, long, balanced finish.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSugar-coated creamy red fruits and flowers are found in the aromatic profile of the 2001 Romanee-St.-Vivant. Armed with wonderful depth of fruit, it is medium-bodied, silky-textured, and offers loads of red cherry fruit. An elegant, concentrated wine, it is well-structured and lengthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

Produced from a tiny parcel of old vines (80-85 years old), the 2002 Clos St.-Denis explodes from the glass with delectable aromas of sweet blueberries and cherries. Medium to full bodied, it is broad, ample, expansive, and well-structured. Ripe blackberries, cassis, blueberries, leather, and herbs can be found in its flavor profile. This effort’s copious fruit envelopes an enormous quantity of ripe yet firm tannin. Projected maturity: 2009-2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(Maison Louis Jadot Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Red) Much more deftly oaked with complex, elegant and beautifully pure red and black fruit aromas and sweet, deep, rich and mouth coating flavors that possess a spicy, powerful and extremely long finish. This is more understated than a number of the grands crus in the range though there is more muscle and punch than usual though about the same degree of structure. A terrific effort and the best since the extraordinary ’99 that should improve for up to a decade and last for another. (Drink between 2010-2017).Burghound | 91-93 BH(these vines are between 80 and 90 years of age, notes Lardiere) Dark red. Musky aromas of red fruits, chocolate and mocha, with complicating notes of herbs and underbrush. In a drier style than the Amoureuses, but with complex, well-defined flavors of red fruits, herbs and mint. Here one senses the vinification with the stems. Finishes with ripe, chewy tannins and lingering notes of earth, mocha and spice. An atypically strong showing for this cuvee.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

Here is heaven in glass. The 2002 Grands Echezeaux possesses one of those bouquets that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder whether it is worth ever drinking another Pinot Noir again. Sensational red cherry, wild strawberry and bergamot scents abound with a sense of translucency that could bring a tear to the eye, so have your tissues ready. The palate is tense and shimmers in the glass, the acidity nigh on perfect, the texture satin-like and the finish brimming with energy undimmed by bottle age. There is no greater way to remember the late Philippe Engel. Simply fabulous.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2002 Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru is one of the finest wines that Philippe Engel released towards the end of his life. It has a transcendental bouquet that exudes shimmering red cherries and bergamot, so precise that you have to sit down and get your breath back. The palate is medium-bodied and imbued with balletic precision. As I have remarked before, the acidity is nigh perfect and the silky texture is to die for. Tasting this wine, I am tinged with sadness thinking how many more Engel could have made if it were not for his untimely passing. Tasted at dinner in Tokyo.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe rich vibrant, still almost purple, colour is noticeably deeper than the Echezeaux of the same vintage. The idea of youth continues with a fair whack of new oak showing on the bouquet. Dense and brooding, with considerable unresolved structure, quite high-toned acidity at first. Later on the fruit expands in volume to match and indeed subdue the acidity but the message from this bottle was to hold the wine for several more years before trying again. Tasted: January 2019.Jasper Morris | 95 JMLoads of sweet fruit here and the depth and class of a grand cru. Very stylish oak spice is well-integrated into the berry, mineral and smoke flavors of this concentrated, silky red. The acidity and tannins are harmonious and it finishes with a sandalwood aftertaste. Best from 2007 through 2025.Wine Spectator | 94 WSCool and reserved aromas are composed of spice, a hint of the sauvage, a touch of sandalwood and still largely primary dark currant scents. There is evident power, intensity and mid-palate concentration to the beautifully textured and delineated medium weight plus flavors that terminate in a still relatively tightly wound, firm and mildly austere finish. While it would no longer be a vinous crime to crack a bottle of this now, I would continue to advise holding the ’02 GE for another 4 to 6 years and it may need up to another decade before this reaches its ultimate apogee. Be that as it may, this is a really lovely effort of obvious class and grace.Burghound | 94 BH

Full ruby. Brooding, deep aromas of blackberry, black cherry, minerals, violet and earth. Pure, precise and superconcentrated, with uncanny density and strength of blackberry and floral flavor. This saturates the entire palate, finishing with very firm tannins, a lightly mentholated quality and great persistence. Will need extended aging to express its inherent complexity. The year for Chambertin," notes Martin Prieur, who added that the Prieur parcel is located in a "much less regular spot" (in terms of ripening) than some others. Potentially great for this cuveeVinous Media | 94+ VMThe Prieur 2005 Chambertin had been racked and returned to barrel when I tasted. Generous blackberry liqueur, cedar and roasted meat aromas usher in an almost implosively concentrated, severely black-fruited palate, underlain by charred meat and a veritable sauna bath of wet stones. This really grips in the back, but formidable tannins keep it from being much fun to taste, for all of its obvious ripeness. If you imagine Chambertin of Napoleonic compactness and ambition – even though some of the best 2005s demonstrate how full of flowers and finesse youthful wine from this appellation can be – then here is your emperor of a wine. I wouldn’t want to bet against it over the long haul, although that might be long indeed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-93 RPStill very deeply colored. The still somewhat primary though nicely nuanced black fruit, spice and earth scented nose introduces big-bodied, rich and very concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm and lingering if somewhat monolithic finale. To my taste this has peaked even if only just and is a wine that should last for several more decades. With that said, it’s not clear that it’s necessarily going to improve from here. I found this to be perfectly good if a bit inelegant.Burghound | 92 BHI am sure that the Chambertin and Musigny chez Prieur are raised in one hundred percent new oak, and both wines were showing a fair bit of wood spice on the nose and a fair bit of wood tannin on the backend at the time of my March visit. The nose on the ’05 Chamby is a fine, meaty mélange of black cherries, cassis, woodsmoke, grilled meats, earth and spicy oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and focused, with a fine core of fruit, tangy acids, and plenty of chewy tannin currently in ascendancy on the long finish. I am sure that this will have no trouble eventually absorbing all of its new oak, but the question really needs to be asked as to whether or not the wine is better off for all of its new wood. As I tasted this I could not help imagining these fine raw materials with the terroir front and center in the same way that Freddy Mugnier’s Musigny is utterly defined by its refined soil these days. This is a very good Chambertin that to my palate could be unmistakably great with the new wood dialed down. (Drink between 2017 - 2060)John Gilman | 90-94 JG

(Clos de la Roche- Domaine Dujac) The 2005 vintage remains the single greatest young vintage of this wine that I have ever tasted, and at age eleven, there is nothing going on in this wine that dissuades me from this conviction, as this is sheer brilliance from tip to toe. However, like so many of the very finest 2005s, this wine is still in its infancy and is years and years away from truly blossoming, so opening up bottles now is pure infanticide. However, for research purposes, we sacrificed a bottle at our vertical, with the wine offering up an absolutely brilliant, albeit primary, bouquet of sappy plums, red and black cherries, venison, raw cocoa, a superb base of soil, woodsmoke, fresh herbs and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and gloriously sappy at the core, coupled to stunning transparency, ripe tannins, great acids and laser-like focus on the very long, very young and perfectly balanced finish. All this legend needs is time. (Drink between 2030-2100)John Gilman | 98 JGThe Seysses’ 2005 Clos de la Roche charts new territory in this collection for sheer intensity. Black cherry, kirsch distillate, cedar, incense, iron filings, wet stone, and roasted meats and coffee represent a few of the immediate aromatic suggestions forced on this taster. In the mouth, it is similarly compelling, with an eruption of clear black cherry, cassis, and meat juices, faintly bitter notes of fruit skin and pungent herbal and mineral notes adding complexity. The texture is incipiently velvety, imposingly glossy, and a perfect cover for fine, abundant tannins. Spectacularly rich and reverberative in its multifaceted finish, this sensational wine deserves at least a decade of rest before re-opening.The already rich array of crus at Domaine Dujac has recently been augmented on two fronts. The purchase (along with de Montille) of the Societe Civile du Clos de Thorey (Thomas-Moillard) has brought them a raft of choice parcels including three new grand cru holdings (for a staggering total of eight). Meanwhile, they have expanded their negociant arm (with control over harvest and green harvest a prerequisite) to supplement in particular their volumes of village-level wine. (Those wines – labeled “Dujac Fils & Pere” – are signified in the above listing with “FP”. In fact, due to a legal technicality, the 2005 vintage wines from the properties newly acquired by the domaine – but not subsequent vintages – will also read “Fils & Pere” rather than “Domaine”.) Even with California-trained oenologist Diana Seysses (nee Snowden) joining her husband Jeremy and in-laws Jacques and Alec, and with a new winery (though at the old address) I wonder at how they are able to keep up with the magnitude of their responsibilities. Yet despite so many parcels and vines new to them this year, the results are consistently outstanding and at times astounding. Much of the vinification – increasingly as one goes up the hierarchy of crus – was of whole clusters. Malos finished (finally) by November and the wines were bottle in December and January.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Red) Sweet black cherry fruit, warm earth, spice and a hint of the sauvage leads to focused, intense, vibrant and well-muscled full-bodied flavors that carry ample authority and punch on the complex, broad and superbly long finish. There is real depth of material here and the intensity builds from the mid-palate on back to the explosive if slightly austere finish. There is so much dry extract here that this is a dramatic and powerful wine. A stunner with simply amazing persistence. (Drink starting 2017).Burghound | 95 BHFull colour. Rich, concentrated nose. Nice and fat. Compared with earlier Dujacs this has more backbone and intensity. Excellent fruit and really profound. Very fine.Decanter | 95 DECDeep red-ruby. Pure but tight aromas of dark raspberry, brown spices and graphite. Dense, fat and rich but quite youthfully reduced, showing notes of smoke and toast. This amazingly chewy and tactile wine needs a lot of patience. Sullen today but very long and strong on the back end, with a powerful impression of dry extract and a finishing note of chocolate. If you invest in a wine like this, don't even think of opening it any time soon (Jeremy Seysses suggests waiting 12 years).Vinous Media | 94+ VM

The concentration and intensity has slowly but noticeably been increasing over the last few vintages as the vines begin to achieve a higher average age and it’s particularly evident in 2005. Here the nose is unusually expressive rather than its usual brooding character with pretty, even elegant aromas of spicy red pinot and purple fruit and warm earth notes that can also be found on the powerful but detailed, indeed almost nervous flavors that possess excellent precision and a very attractive underlying tension on the explosive finish that delivers flat out incredible length. 2005 is the best vintage for this wine that I’ve seen since Mugnier took over.Burghound | 96 BHBright ruby-red. Knockout nose offers strawberry, blueberry, musky herbs and brown spices, with an almost liqueur-like sweetness. Wonderfully sweet and plush, with a bottomless quality to its fruit. This is amazingly expressive today, but it’s hard to imagine that this wine won’t shut down within the next year or two. An outstanding vintage for this cuvee, finishing with great length and lift. Half of these vines were planted in 1981 and 1987, while the rest are considerably older. Mugnier has never liked these latter clones, but notes that they continue to improve with age.Vinous Media | 95 VMI have never tasted a better example of Bonner-Mares from Monsieur Mugnier than the 2005, as the combination of this vineyard’s more reserved terroir and the velvety, perfumed elegance of the vintage have combined to make a truly special bottle. The bouquet is deep, refined and utterly seductive, as it offers up a stunningly pure mélange of black cherries, red plums, roses, cocoa powder, a touch of woodsmoke, a lovely base of soil and a judicious framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy to the core, with an attack of velvet, great acids for brightness and focus, and utterly supple tannins on the backend that will carry the wine for decades, and yet seemingly never cause deferment of gratification. Just a beautiful bottle of elegant, intensely flavored Bonnes-Mares. This wine is nearly irresistible out of the blocks, but I would be inclined to certainly try and bury it in the cellar for a bit and let its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity build. (Drink between 2015 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JGThe Mugnier 2005 Bonnes-Mares (of which there will be only around 125 cases) leads with aromas of ripe mulberry, blackberry, roasted meat, black tea, horehound and musky florality. This is one of those decidedly darkly-hued 2005s, and lacks the refreshment, the treble high-tones, or quite the focus of its siblings. Where this wine looks likely to shine is in its depth of mineral and earthy (stone and humus) manifestations, which already dominate the finish. Certainly this represents a dramatic departure in character from most other Bonnes-Mares of the vintage, which I am at a loss to explain.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

(Domaine Jean Grivot, Richebourg Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, Red) Full colour. Splendidly concentrated and complex on the nose, but still very closed in. Full body, finely tuned, fragrant, understated and very harmonious. Vigorous, intense and very classy indeed on the follow through. This is excellent. (Drink starting 2018)Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Richebourg displays a fascinating and alluring bouquet of black raspberry, nutmeg, ginger, sandalwood, and marrow. It offers an incredibly spicy, intensely black-fruited, old vines impression in the mouth, coating the palate with silken folds of fruit yet gliding elegantly into a finish of dark berries, spice, raw meat, wet stone, and mineral salts. Like spading fertile earth, one turns up new, dark secrets with each sip. For all of its textural richness and ripeness of fruit, this superb Pinot preserves a certain “cool” restraint, with no superficial sweetness. It would be a shame to cellar this for fewer than 10-12 years.Etienne Grivot aimed this year for gentle extraction (essentially without pigeage), then watchful preservation of the freshness, subtleties and refinement inherent in near-perfect raw material. He performed some very light chaptalization to extend the fermentations. Given the health and natural concentration of his vinous raw material, he felt no need to sulfur or rack the wines until shortly prior to bottling (without filtration), which was the stage at which I tasted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-97 RPDeep red-ruby. The nose offers a pure, pungent expression of Richebourg soil: black raspberry, blueberry pastille, musky minerality, smoke, cocoa powder. Like a black hole of dark fruits on the palate: thick but weightless, with incredible concentration and depth. This is quite closed, like the Beaux-Monts, with the slow-mounting finish displaying great length and thrust. A fabulously ripe but youthfully imploded wine that will need 12 to 15 years in the cellar to fully express itself.Vinous Media | 96+ VM(Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg Grand Cru Red) The step up in class is unmistakable with gorgeously complex red, black and violet aromas trimmed with a dazzling array of spices, earth and a hint of smoked game that add real luster to the round, intense, muscular but stylish flavors that possess real power and a building intensity that develops from the mid-palate to the explosive finish. I really like the purity of expression here on the linear and mineral-infused finish that has a dusty quality from all of the dry extract that coats the mouth on the hugely persistent backend. This is a big wine but it remains impeccably well balanced and should live for decades. Highly recommended. (Drink starting 2022)Burghound | 95 BH

The Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules may very well be one of the finest Pinot Noir wines of Champagne. Stunning aromatics meld into a finessed, layered expression of Pinot fruit, all wrapped into a silky-textured frame of profound beauty. The wine possesses striking clarity and detail, a fine mousse and an eternal finish. This too is 100% 2006 juice that spent 28 months on its lees and was bottled with no dosage. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis vineyard is located in Celles. Bouchard has 0.97 hectares under vine. Les Ursules is the only Roses de Jeanne vineyard that Bouchard does not own, but rather farms through a long-term lease arrangement. Bouchard believes that Pinot Noir from this site is particularly well-suited to aging in magnums and it is likely that in the future the entire production from Les Ursules will be bottled in large formats. Recently Bouchard has begun to make some of his Coteaux Champenoise wines from this site.The 2006 Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules combines elements of the 2002 and 2005. The explosive bouquet recalls the boisterous, super-rich 2002, but then the wine turns quite a bit more linear on the palate, with a layers of minerality that invite a comparison with the shy, introspective 2005. The development in the glass is nothing short of spectacular. Over time, the mousse becomes imperceptibly fine as the bubbles virtually disappear, revealing a moving, intensely satisfying wine. Hints of Mirabelle plums, red berries, mint, spices and flowers linger on the sublime finish. This is a magnificent, towering Champagne from Cédric Bouchard. A small number of magnums will go on sale later in 2010. Readers should do whatever they can to snap them up. Although the 2006 will only get better in bottle I frankly find it impossible not to drink today.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

Amazing balance and purity of flavors, extending from the complex crushed cranberry, rose petal and raspberry scents to the touches of mineral, tea, and forest floor. Great texture, muscle and length.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Red) As noted in the original review just after bottling, the once reserved nose is now starting to come out of its shell as there is plenty of the hallmark spice and floral components that are broad and deep and while the aromas are still on the restrained side, they are still most impressive. The big and generous flavors are an exercise in contrasts as they are at once round and rich while remaining wonderfully defined and precise with an intense minerality coming to the fore, all wrapped in a linear, precise and palate staining finish that not is explosive. Even at such a young age, the palate impression is entirely harmonious and the transparency and purity of expression are something to see. As I noted in the original review, while I do not argue that the ’06 La Tâche rivals vintages like ’99 or ’05, there is something special about this one that causes me to already be in love with it. In a word, magnificent and my original description needs no modification except perhaps to observe that this is a Zen-like vintage for La Tâche as it is very calm and deliberate in demeanor. (Drink starting 2026).Burghound | 96 BHGood colour. The nose is a bit hidden. But it is evident that this is a big step up on the Richebourg. More concentration. More volume. More depth. Above all more class and definition. Very lovely balanced fruit and an excellent long finish. Very fine plus.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2006 La Tâche is the most layered and pliant of these four 2006s. I especially admire the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume, both qualities that carry through to the creamy, expressive finish. This is a terrific showing from the 2006.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDomaine de La Romanee-Conti’s 2006 La Tache possesses a sense of sheer density and a viscosity – by no means precluding energy – that go beyond the other wines in the Domaine’s current collection. Scents of bitter-sweet floral perfume, citrus oils, white pepper, peat, and black fruit distillates pungently, almost aggressively fill the nose. The marrow and beef gelatin aspect of this Pinot is salient, but is allied on a palpably tannic palate with similarly impressive concentrated cooked black fruits, dark mushroom stock, forest floor, smoky Lapsang tea, and licorice. For grip and power, too, this surpasses its stable mates. But a glance back at the Romanee-St.-Vivant suggests that you can’t have it all, and that this La Tache cannot approach that wine’s finesse or quite equal its mystery. Still, I suspect this will be worth following for at least two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, Red) Good colour. Better than the Richebourg. Lovely nose. Pure and succulent. Ripe and round but fresh and vigorous for a 2007. Fullish body, ample and velvety on the palate. Good grip. This is complex and very elegant. Lovely finish. Very fine. (Drink starting 2016)Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St.-Vivant Grand Cru Red) An ultra elegant, pure and quite delicately fruited and spiced nose that is extremely fresh, floral and expansive that is more layered still as it introduces seductively textured, detailed and gorgeously delineated middle weight flavors that possess laser-like focus if less density than is usually seen with this wine. Indeed, this is rather like a ballerina with limited power and weight but the watch word here is purity, purity and purity. I quite like this but it will strike some as unduly light though I believe the underlying material is present such that it will add weight in bottle as it ages. (Drink starting 2019)Burghound | 94 BH(Romanée- St.-Vivant- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) The 2007 RSV is equally refined and perfumed on the nose, as it soars from the glass in a beautiful blend of raspberries, coffee, cherries, a touch of cocoa, blood orange, great minerality and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, deep and rock solid at the core, with beautiful focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and simply profound intensity and grip on the very long backend. A stellar vintage of Romanée- St.-Vivant. (Drink between 2013-2045)John Gilman | 94 JGVery together, revealing pure floral, strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors. Refined, balanced and harmonious, with the firm structure showing on the lingering mineral finish. I prefer this to the Richebourg today.--Non-blind 2007 DRC tasting (February 2010). Best from 2014 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe Domaine’s 2007 Romanee-St.-Vivant predictably inhabits a different world – not to mention being in a different league of complexity and intrigue – from their Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, or Richebourg of that vintage. Peat, leather, humus, forest floor, and decadent floral perfume are joined by an oceanic saline, alkaline, kelp-tinged aspect, and these surf-and-turf aspects follow on a polished palate that – despite only the slightest nod in the direction of overt fruitiness by way of dark berries – nevertheless displays a mouth-watering juiciness to accompany its myriad mineral and organic complexities. A persistently satisfying and thought-provoking finish points to the likelihood of 12-15 years continuance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Surpassing the 2007, Anne Gros’s 2008 Richebourg Grand Cru is showing very well, unfurling in the glass with scents of cassis, cherries, dried flowers, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and nicely concentrated, with melting tannins, racy acids that are elegantly cloaked in succulent fruit and a long, penetrating finish. It makes for dramatic, head-turning drinking today, so there seems little reason to wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Richebourg- Domaine A-F. Gros) The 2008 Richebourg from A-F. Gros is fairly oaky, but with its wood much better integrated into the main body of the wine on both the nose and palate and posing no threat to the ultimate balance of the wine. The classy nose jumps from the glass in a blend of plums, black cherries, cocoa powder, orange zest, woodsmoke and spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely transparent, with a fine core of fruit, ripe tannins and fine length and grip on the youthful finish. There is plenty of wood in this wine, but it is seamlessly integrated already and does not detract at all from the overall pleasure that the wine delivers. A very good example. (Drink between 2018-2040)John Gilman | 92+ JG(Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Very generous wood fights somewhat at present with the cool, spicy and highly complex nose of red currant, plum and violet aromas that is very much in keeping with the equally spicy rich, full-bodied and tautly muscled flavors that display ample minerality on the balanced, long and linear finish. This is a very serious effort with fine but dense tannins that will require 15 to 20 years for them to fully resolve so this isn’t a precocious Riche. (Drink starting 2023)Burghound | 91-94 BH

(Ruchottes-Chambertin- Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg) The 2008 Ruchottes-Chambertin is an utterly complete and classic example of this great grand cru. The very deep and beautiful nose offers up scents of red and black cherries, blood orange, lovely soil tones, a gentle note of the grilled meat to come, coffee, mustard seed and new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and finely etched, with a sappy core of fruit, stunning transparency, tangy acids and superb focus and balance on the very, very long and seamless finish. (Drink between 2018-2050).John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2008 Ruchottes-Chambertin totally covers the palate with layers of dark, sensual fruit. This shows breathtaking harmony and fabulous balance, especially in the way it continues to blossom in the glass. The finish is vivid, textured and unforgettable. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.This is an impressive set of wines from sisters Marie-Andree and Marie-Christine Mugneret. I can’t think of too many estates that did so well in both 2008 and 2009. Beginning with the 2009 vintage, the estate has simplified their name to Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, which should eliminate some of the confusion of past years. The 2009 harvest began on September 12. The fruit was 100% destemmed. Marie-Andree Mugneret told me she was concerned about over-extracting given the inherent richness in the fruit, so she opted for a gentle approach to vinification. Cuvaison ranged from 15-20 days. After pressing the wines were moved into oak, where they saw one racking just after the malos. New oak ranged from 10% for the Bourgogne, 25% for the Vosne-Romanee, 40% for the Chaignots, 45% for the Feusselottes and 70% for the Grand Crus, from four different coopers. During the time of my visit the wines were being moved into steel, where they would remain for three months prior to bottling. Mugneret planned to bottle with no fining or filtration. Readers should also pay close attention to the estate’s 2008s, which are simply brilliant. The 2008 harvest started on the 22nd of September. Some of the malos took as long as a year to finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2008 Ruchottes-Chambertin totally covers the palate with layers of dark, sensual fruit. This shows breathtaking harmony and fabulous balance, especially in the way it continues to blossom in the glass. The finish is vivid, textured and unforgettable.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Domaines Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) This is also cool yet notably riper than the young vines version with a stony and truffle-infused nose of brambleberry and humus notes that can also be found on the rich, full and impressively well-detailed flavors that retain a fine sense of underlying tension that adds appeal to the powerful, focused and hugely long finish. This striking and impeccably well balanced effort should reward moderately long-term cellaring. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 93 BH